Clarissa Harlowe; or the history of a young lady — Volume 5 eBook

Thou knowest, that an adroitness in the art of manual
imitation, was one of my earliest attainments.
It has been said, on this occasion, that had I been
a bad man in meum and tuum matters, I should not have
been fit to live. As to the girls, we hold it
no sin to cheat them. And are we not told, that
in being well deceived consists the whole of human
happiness?

WEDNESDAY, MAY 31.

All still happier and happier. A very high honour
done me: a chariot, instead of a coach, permitted,
purposely to indulge me in the subject of subjects.

Our discourse in this sweet airing turned upon our
future manner of life. The day is bashfully promised
me. Soon was the answer to my repeated urgency.
Our equipage, our servants, our liveries, were parts
of the delightful subject. A desire that the
wretch who had given me intelligence out of the family
(honest Joseph Leman) might not be one of our menials;
and her resolution to have her faithful Hannah, whether
recovered or not; were signified; and both as readily
assented to.

Her wishes, from my attentive behaviour, when with
her at St. Paul’s,* that I would often accompany
her to the Divine Service, were greatly intimated,
and as readily engaged for. I assured her, that
I ever had respected the clergy in a body; and some
individuals of them (her Dr. Lewen for one) highly:
and that were not going to church an act of religion,
I thought it [as I told thee once] a most agreeable
sight to see rich and poor, all of a company, as I
might say, assembled once a week in one place, and
each in his or her best attire, to worship the God
that made them. Nor could it be a hardship upon
a man liberally educated, to make one on so solemn
an occasion, and to hear the harangue of a man of
letters, (though far from being the principal part
of the service, as it is too generally looked upon
to be,) whose studies having taken a different turn
from his own, he must always have something new to
say.

* See Vol. IV. Letter V. ** Ibid.

She shook her head, and repeated the word new:
but looked as if willing to be satisfied for the present
with this answer. To be sure, Jack, she means
to do great despight to his Satanic majesty in her
hopes of reforming me. No wonder, therefore,
if he exerts himself to prevent her, and to be revenged.
But how came this in!—­I am ever of party
against myself.—­One day, I fancy, I shall
hate myself on recollecting what I am about at this
instant. But I must stay till then. We
must all of us do something to repent of.

The reconciliation-prospect was enlarged upon.
If her uncle Harlowe will but pave the way to it,
and if it can be brought about, she shall be happy.—­Happy,
with a sigh, as it is now possible she can be!

She won’t forbear, Jack!

I told her, that I had heard from Pritchard, just
before we set out on our airing, and expected him
in town to-morrow from Lord M. to take my directions.
I spoke with gratitude of my Lord’s kindness
to me; and with pleasure of Lady Sarah’s, Lady
Betty’s, and my two cousins Montague’s
veneration for her: as also of his Lordship’s
concern that his gout hindered him from writing a
reply with his own hand to my last.